Review: LOFT Dot Print Applique Dress (P00)

When I saw this dress online, I thought it was really cute. It looked sophisticated and chic, and I really like the idea of the shoulder detail (I just can’t get enough of this trend!) to add some extra interest to what is regularly just a belted cotton dress. Size Petite 00 wasn’t available online, so I convinced my boyfriend to take a detour after lunch one day to LOFT (in the name of research, of course) to see if I could find the dress in my size.

I lucked out because there was one dress left in size Petite 00. I snagged it right away and ran off to the dressing room. It looked cute enough hanging on the hanger…but when I put it on…um…I wasn’t totally pleased. I forgot my little red camera that I usually take shopping with me, so I had to test out the camera on my new phone.

First of all…I could probably use one size smaller. Luckily the waist tie helps to cinch everything in, so I might be able to get away with it as-is. Also, the pleats at the waist were bigger than I thought they’d be, which made the skirt poof out a bit more than I’d like. My instinct was to keep trying to smooth it down, which was a little annoying. The shoulder detail was really cute, so it scored points for that.

What ultimately turned me off this dress was it is just too sweet looking. Up close, the polka dots are bigger than I expected, and it just felt very childish. I felt like I was wearing J.Crew Crew Cuts. Maybe it would have been better if it was just a solid color? Or a nice tweed fabric? Either way, the last thing this 4’11” woman wants is to look any more like a child than she already does, so back on the rack it went.

Verdict: Skip this dress if you’re itty bitty. Leave it for the taller girls who aren’t matched in height by 3rd graders, unless of course you like pats on the head and being offered the kid’s menu.

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5 Comments

Too bad about the dress … I never really liked LOFT, although Ann Taylor has stepped it up a bit. I ordered both of those silk shells too lol! It was such a bargain with the discount on top of buy one get one 50% off.

PetiteAsianGirl – I know! AT is killing my bank account. I went a little crazy with ordering last week with the discount and B1G1 50% off…can't wait for my goodies to arrive. I hope at least some of it fits! It's always fun to see how things fit on me compared to you…can't wait to compare =)

Ann taylor is awesome – great clothes, but they run way too big. 00P sounds great, but vanity sizing is getting out of control. I saw that dress at LOFT and my friend thought it was too big for me when I remember being the same weight 16 years ago and fitting a size 3/4.

For me ultimately is not that the dress was too sweet, although that is another good reason not to buy it (I was trying to convince myself i could get it online at 0P and take it in myself) but the color is too Drab and nothing special.

Yes the height / childish look is a problem with certain fabrics/polka dots/ruffles. This weekend i went out in a too frilly skirt and looked like a teeny bopper /Avril Lavigne, and it was extremely embarassing.